


Caged Hearts

by betawho



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-16
Updated: 2014-09-16
Packaged: 2018-02-17 17:01:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2316920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/betawho/pseuds/betawho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor has a gift for River...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Caged Hearts

"I want to give you something," the Doctor said, looking a bit flushed.

River smiled, delighted, he was always giving her gifts, some more alarming than others. "Oh?" she asked eagerly.

He smiled nervously at her tone and shifted side to side like a little boy. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled his closed fist out. "I know you like jewelry, and you always look lovely, and have impeccable taste in jewels. And I know you can buy or steal anything you want..."

She grinned at his nervous monologue, her eyes irresistibly drawn to his hand.

"So I wanted to give you something special," he said, softly, uncommonly serious. He opened his hand, and a blue velvet ribbon spiraled out.

He held the two ends up and motioned toward her, "Can I..?"

"Of course, Sweetie." She lifted up her hair and leaned forward. He fastened the clasp behind her neck, and smoothed the velvet ribbon down over her chest with one warm hand.

She looked down.

At the end of the Tardis blue ribbon, hung a tiny little cage. It was wood, oval, obviously carved out of one piece, each tiny, delicate bar was polished and oiled to a lustrous gleam, the wood grain glowing with complex layers, it was flattened, to lie smoothly against her chest.

Inside, were carved three tiny wooden hearts.

She looked up at him. He smiled. Not that big goofy grin, but that small, cherishing smile that said, "I love you," all over his face.

She stared back down and picked up the delicate cage, small as a locket. Three hearts, his two Time Lord and her human one. They were polished smooth and perfect, intricate with wood grain, nestled together. As she moved the locket the hearts moved, tumbling, bumping together and moving apart, sliding around each other, completely free. Yet always together.

A lump rose up in her throat. She looked up at him, eyes gleaming. She blinked furiously. "I'm not crying," she said sternly, in case there was any doubt.

"Of course not," he said, smiling that smile at her. He cupped her cheek, one thumb brushing the corner of her eye.

"It's beautiful," she said, crushing the pendant possessively in her fist, careful not to break it. Hearing the small clicks of the tumbling hearts inside.

Her hand shook. "I don't have anything to give you," she said softly.

He cupped her flushed face with both hands, his eyes glowed deep and old. Far older than his face could ever portray. They drew her in like a golden thread, past decades, and centuries and lives untold.

"You've given me more than you could ever imagine."

—

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